tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/dream-act-2017-41701/articlesDREAM Act 2017 – The Conversation2018-02-14T11:39:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/917872018-02-14T11:39:52Z2018-02-14T11:39:52ZTrying to keep up with the 'Dreamers' debate? Here are 6 essential reads<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206280/original/file-20180213-44660-fx3i20.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=496&amp;fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Immigrant rights supporters in Miami.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Lynne Sladky</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The future remains uncertain for a group of young people who were brought to the U.S. as children without legal authorization. </p>
<p>Some of these so-called “Dreamers” were temporarily shielded from deportation through an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. In 2017, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/us/politics/trump-daca-dreamers-immigration.html">announced he would</a> rescind DACA and tasked Congress with finding a durable solution before March 5, 2018. However, lawsuits were filed against Trump’s attempt to end DACA and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-ruling/second-u-s-judge-blocks-trump-administration-from-ending-daca-program-idUSKCN1FX2TJ">two federal courts</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/immigration/daca-injunction-what-a-federal-judges-ruling-means-for-dreamers/2018/01/10/ecb5d492-f60c-11e7-a9e3-ab18ce41436a_story.html">have ruled to reinstate</a> the program until the cases are resolved.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is holding up <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/12/mitch-mcconnell-dreamers-immigration-401209">his end of a bargain</a> to end a January government shutdown led by Democrats, in an effort to spur action on Dreamers. As promised, the Senate is now holding an open debate on immigration. </p>
<p>Here is a roundup of archival stories to help you follow along.</p>
<h2>1. DACA’s terms and conditions</h2>
<p>DACA came with a long list of terms and conditions. For example, to apply you had to be a certain age and meet certain educational requirements.</p>
<p>Immigration scholar <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-johnson-322147">Kevin Johnson</a> of the University of California, Davis, points out, DACA offered protection for only about 1.8 million of the estimated 3.6 million people who were brought to the U.S. as children. Of those 1.8 million who were eligible, <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-path-to-citizenship-for-1-8-million-will-leave-out-nearly-half-of-all-dreamers-90899">only about 800,000 actually applied and received protection through DACA</a>.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-230" class="tc-infographic" height="575px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/230/0383290ac53a9bb85bf4290bcbe95349d1676be3/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>2. DACA doesn’t cover unaccompanied minors</h2>
<p>It’s important to point out that DACA also does not apply to “unaccompanied minors.” You may have heard the term used especially in 2014, when unprecedented numbers of children traveling alone were arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico. Generally, these case are handled under a different set of laws and policies.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephanie-l-canizales-133281">Stephanie Canizales</a>, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California, Dornsife, has spent time doing in-depth interviews and observational research on this group of migrants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-unaccompanied-youth-become-exploited-workers-in-the-us-73738">who face a separate set of issues around labor exploitation</a>.</p>
<p>Canizales writes, “Undocumented working youth migrate to Los Angeles in hopes of working to support their families who remain in their home countries. … Much like with their adult coworkers, economic necessity and fear of removal from the workplace and the country keep undocumented migrant youth workers quiet in cases of exploitation, and docile and efficient on the job.”</p>
<h2>3. DACA improves mental health</h2>
<p>There is research that shows that DACA <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-daca-affected-the-mental-health-of-undocumented-young-adults-83341">has improved the mental health of those who received it</a>. Scholars <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-aranda-334454">Elizabeth Aranda</a> of the University of South Florida, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-vaquera-405048">Elizabeth Vaquera</a> of George Washington University, explain that being an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. carries with it severe mental health consequences. These include problems such as chronic worry, sadness, isolation and even suicidal thoughts.</p>
<p>Although DACA only offers temporary protection, the relief recipients felt was significant. They write, “These youth shared with us that they were more motivated and happy after Obama’s executive order. As Kate, one of our participants, told us, DACA ‘has gone a long way to give me some sense of security and stability that I haven’t had in a very long time.’”</p>
<h2>4. Dreamers would boost US economy</h2>
<p>DACA critics have suggested that undocumented immigrants negatively impact the U.S. economy because they steal jobs from native-born people. In fact, there is growing evidence that shows how incorporating undocumented immigrants into the workforce actually boosts economic growth. For example, take City University of New York sociologist <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-hsin-437057">Amy Hsin</a>’s study that shows <a href="https://theconversation.com/daca-isnt-just-about-social-justice-legalizing-dreamers-makes-economic-sense-too-90603">what would happen if the DREAM Act was passed</a>.</p>
<p>She found that it would have no significant effect on the wages of U.S.-born workers. It would create more economic opportunities by encouraging legalized immigrants to make education gains. Hsin writes, “Overall, we estimate that the increases in productivity under the DREAM Act would raise the United States GDP by US$15.2 billion and significantly increase tax revenue.”</p>
<h2>5. The moral argument for Dreamers</h2>
<p>Arguably, at the core of the effort to protect Dreamers is a belief that the U.S. has a tradition of embracing those who arrive at its shores seeking a better life. However, a quick scan of history would reveal that the U.S. has not in fact always been so welcoming. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carrie-tirado-bramen-438943">Carrie Tirado Bramen</a> of the University at Buffalo explains, many writers have described U.S. history as an “ongoing duel between generosity and greed.”</p>
<p>Bramen writes that <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-daca-debate-which-version-of-america-nice-or-nasty-will-prevail-90731">this issue gets at the core of American identity</a>: “At stake is not only the fate of the Dreamers, but also how the country and the rest of the world understands the idea of America.”</p>
<h2>6. Millions still in the shadows</h2>
<p>Dreamers are the main impetus for the current debate on immigration. As professor <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-wright-435291">Matthew Wright</a> of American University points out, a victory for Dreamers would be seen as a big “win” for Democrats and some Republicans.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Trump and immigration hard-liners see it as an opportunity to strike a deal that would also include funding for additional security at the U.S.-Mexico border.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/ahead-of-government-shutdown-congress-sets-its-sights-on-not-so-comprehensive-immigration-reform-89998">Neither side has sought to address the remaining millions of undocumented immigrants</a> who are not Dreamers, and who have created lives and community ties in the U.S. For decades, Congress has stalled on comprehensive immigration reform that would offer undocumented immigrants a path to legal status. Even if Congress passes a Dreamer solution, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants will continue to live in fear of detention, deportation and long-term family separation.</p>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct scholar Elizabeth Aranda’s affiliation, she is a professor at the University of South Florida.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91787/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Scholars have you covered on all sides of the 'Dreamers' issue, with solid research to boot.Danielle Douez, Associate Editor, Politics + SocietyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/903772018-01-19T11:41:56Z2018-01-19T11:41:56Z'Dreamers' could give US economy – and even American workers – a boost<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202535/original/file-20180119-80203-1iuvh1m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=496&amp;fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Demonstrators chant slogans during an immigration rally in support of DACA.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Earlier this month, <a href="http://kxan.com/2017/12/02/daca-summit-gives-dreamers-hope-encouragement/">hopes were high</a> that a bipartisan deal could be reached to resolve the fate of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/dreamers-24037">Dreamers</a>,” the millions of undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. as children. </p>
<p>Those hopes <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/11/politics/daca-deal-obstacles-flake-white-house/index.html">all but vanished</a> on Jan. 11 as President Donald Trump aligned himself with hard-line anti-immigration advocates within the GOP and struck down bipartisan attempts to reach a resolution.</p>
<p>As we enter the final hours before a potential government shutdown, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/us/politics/government-shutdown-house-vote.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=a-lede-package-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news">many Democrats are insisting</a> that any short-term funding agreement must include a resolution for Dreamers. </p>
<p><a href="https://cis.org/Immigration-Hurting-US-Worker">One of the arguments</a> advanced by those who oppose giving them citizenship is that doing so would hurt native-born workers and be a drain on the U.S. economy. My own research shows the exact opposite is true. </p>
<h2>Lives in limbo</h2>
<p>All in all, about <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/01/18/there-3-5-m-dreamers-and-most-may-face-nightmare/1042134001/">3.6 million immigrants</a> living in the U.S. entered the country as children. Without options for legal residency, their lives hang in the balance. </p>
<p>To address this problem, the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/web-video/vault-president-barack-obama-signs-daca">Obama administration created</a> the <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca">Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals</a> program in 2012. <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca-33587">DACA</a> gave <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/daca-four-participation-deferred-action-program-and-impacts-recipients">almost 800,000 of them</a> temporary legal work permits and reprieve from deportation. Although his successor terminated the program in September, this month a <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/10/576963434/federal-judge-temporarily-blocks-trumps-decision-to-end-daca">federal court halted that process</a>, allowing current recipients the ability to renew their status. </p>
<p>Any cause for celebration, however, was short-lived as the Department of Justice immediately responded by asking the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. The Supreme Court has not yet announced a decision. In the meantime, the future of DACA recipients remains uncertain.</p>
<p>Today, the best hope for a permanent fix for the Dreamers rests on bipartisan efforts to enact the 2017 DREAM Act – for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors – which would extend pathways to citizenship to undocumented youth who entered the United States as children, graduated from high school and have no criminal record. A version of the act was <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/349285-graham-durbin-call-for-action-on-dream-act-by-end-of-september">first introduced</a> in 2001.</p>
<p>The debate surrounding the DREAM Act is often framed around two seemingly irreconcilable views. </p>
<p>On one side, <a href="http://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a14473133/kamala-harris-dream-act-op-ed">immigration activists advocate</a> for legalization based on pleas to our common humanity. These Dreamers, after all, were raised and educated in the United States. They are American in every sense but legally. </p>
<p>On the other, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/25/time-for-trump-to-keep-his-promises-daca-is-unconstitutional-and-bad-for-american-workers.html">critics</a> contend that legalization will come at a cost to U.S.-born workers, and their well-being should be prioritized. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=411&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=411&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=411&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202536/original/file-20180119-80171-1b2jixd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many immigrant advocates consider the DREAM Act the best hope for a permanent fix.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Lynne Sladky</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Impact of Dreamer citizenship on wages</h2>
<p>My <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp11281.pdf">research</a> with economists Ryan Edwards and Francesc Ortega estimated the economic impact of the 2017 DREAM Act if it were to become law. About 2.1 million of the undocumented youths <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/mpi-estimates-number-dreamers-potentially-eligible-benefit-under-different-legalization">would likely be eligible</a> to become citizens based on its age and educational requirements. </p>
<p>Our research showed that immigrants given permanent legal work permits under the DREAM Act would not compete with low-skilled U.S.-born workers because only those with at least a high school degree are eligible for legalization. The act also encourages college attendance by making it one of the conditions for attaining legal residency. </p>
<p>We also found that the act would have no significant effect on the wages of U.S.-born workers regardless of education level because Dreamers make up such a small fraction of the labor force. U.S.-born college graduates and high school dropouts would experience no change in wages. Those with some college may experience small declines of at most 0.2 percent a year, while high school graduates would actually experience wage increases of a similar magnitude.</p>
<p>For the legalized immigrants, however, the benefits would be substantial. For example, legalized immigrants with some college education would see wages increase by about 15 percent, driven by expansions in employment opportunities due to legalization and by the educational gains that the DREAM Act encourages.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=403&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=403&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=403&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=506&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=506&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202539/original/file-20180119-80171-wjvwfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=506&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President Trump’s termination of DACA has put the lives of Dreamers like Faride Cuevas, second from right, in limbo.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Broader economic benefits</h2>
<p>The DREAM Act also promotes <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-dreamers-and-green-card-lottery-winners-strengthen-the-us-economy-82571">overall economic growth</a> by increasing the productivity of legalized workers and expanding the tax base. </p>
<p>Lacking legal work options, Dreamers <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/doi/pdf/10.7758/RSF.2017.3.4.06">tend to be overqualified</a> for the jobs they hold. My ongoing work with sociologist Holly Reed shows that the undocumented youth who make it to college are more motivated and academically prepared compared with their U.S.-born peers. This is at least in part because they had to overcome greater odds to attend college. </p>
<p>We find that they are also more likely than their native-born peers to graduate college with a degree. Yet despite being highly motivated and accomplished, undocumented college graduates are employed in jobs that are not commensurate with their education level, according to sociologist <a href="https://www.rsfjournal.org/doi/pdf/10.7758/RSF.2017.3.4.06">Esther Cho</a>. With legal work options, they will be able to find jobs that match their skills and qualifications, making them more productive. </p>
<p>Legalization also <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/08/30/science.aan5893">improves the mental health</a> of immigrants by <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-daca-affected-the-mental-health-of-undocumented-young-adults-83341">removing the social stigma</a> of being labeled a criminal and the looming threat of arrest and deportation. </p>
<p>From an economic standpoint, healthier and happier workers also make for a more productive workforce.</p>
<p>Overall, we estimate that the increases in productivity under the DREAM Act would raise the United States GDP by US$15.2 billion and significantly increase tax revenue.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=404&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=404&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=404&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=508&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=508&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202537/original/file-20180119-80194-16tge4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=508&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham have been leading recent efforts to pass bipartisan immigration reform.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Everyone can win</h2>
<p>The U.S. continues to grapple with how to incorporate the general population of nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country. </p>
<p>The inability of the Trump administration and lawmakers from both parties to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/trump-rejects-horrible-bipartisan-immigration-plan-reuters.html">find common ground</a> is emblematic of just how <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/206681/worry-illegal-immigration-steady.aspx">deeply divided</a> Americans are between those who want to send most of them home and others who favor a path toward citizenship for many if not most of them. </p>
<p>While there appears to be no resolution in sight for the general population of 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, common bipartisan ground <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/survey-finds-strong-support-for-dreamers/2017/09/24/df3c885c-a16f-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html">can be found</a> on the issue of Dreamers. A recent survey found that 86 percent of Americans support granting them amnesty.</p>
<p>The DREAM Act offers an opportunity to enact a permanent resolution for a group widely supported by the public. What is more, our research shows a policy that affirms our common humanity also increases economic growth without hurting U.S.-born workers. </p>
<p>This is a win-win for everyone, whether you care about social justice or worry about U.S. workers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90377/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Hsin receives funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation.</span></em></p>While comprehensive immigration reform may be out of reach, giving immigrants who came to the US as children citizenship not only has broad political support but makes economic sense too.Amy Hsin, Associate Professor of Sociology, City University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/817262017-08-24T10:07:17Z2017-08-24T10:07:17ZUndocumented youth divided over how to fight back against Trump immigration clampdown<p>Young immigrants from across the US <a href="http://www.lahuelga.com/press-releases/daca-release">participated</a> in the first act of civil disobedience by undocumented youth under the Trump administration on July 26 in Texas. After protesters sat in the street outside the state capitol building in Austin, blocking traffic, 15 undocumented young people and their allies were arrested. They were eventually released. </p>
<p>These protests were sparked by increased immigration enforcement against the undocumented population since the election of Donald Trump, including his pledge to end a temporary form of relief from deportation that has been available to many undocumented youth since 2012. </p>
<p>The protesters pledged their “renewed commitment to winning permanent protection, dignity and respect for all 11m undocumented immigrants”. They have <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-immigrant-resistance-now-take-direct-action-to-demand-permanent-protection?source=direct_link&amp;">called on</a> other undocumented youth to follow their lead and engage in civil disobedience to defend their communities. </p>
<p>In response to threats faced by undocumented young people, a bipartisan <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4677268/senators-durbin-graham-introduce-2017-dream-act">DREAM Act bill</a> was introduced to the Senate on July 20 by senators Lindsay Graham and Dick Durbin to provide eligible undocumented young people with a pathway to citizenship. <a href="https://medium.com/@UNITEDWEDREAM/lawmakers-just-introduced-a-dream-act-bill-what-does-it-means-for-you-4aa09e193b6f">To be eligible</a>, they must have arrived in the US before the age of 18, have been in the country for at least four years, and not have criminal convictions. A version of the bill has also been <a href="http://www.aila.org/advo-media/press-releases/2017/house-bills-give-hope-to-dreamers">introduced</a> in the House of Representatives. </p>
<p>For over a decade, the US legislatures have been trying to pass a version of this DREAM Act but to no avail. When it was last introduced as a standalone <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/18/congress.dream.act/index.html">bill in 2010</a> it passed in the House but fell five votes short of the 60 needed to be considered for final passage in the Senate. </p>
<p>Announcing the 2017 bill, Graham praised Donald Trump’s focus on “bad hombres” and asserted that young undocumented people were brought here “by their parents illegally”. But this perpetuates the idea that there are “good immigrants” – the Dreamers – and “bad” immigrants, their parents and those with a criminal record. </p>
<h2>Activists divided</h2>
<p>While several immigrant rights organisations have come out in <a href="http://www.latinorebels.com/2017/07/19/advocates-push-for-trump-to-support-bipartisan-dream-act/">support</a> of the 2017 bill, the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance <a href="https://www.ciyja.org/statementdreamact2017">described</a> it as “a huge step back for immigrant justice”, expressing concerns about “the lack of solidarity with those who continue to be scapegoated ‘criminals’”.</p>
<p>Some undocumented youth have voiced their intention to resist attempts to divide the undocumented population, <a href="http://www.ocweekly.com/news/ociyu-save-daca-and-expand-deportation-relief-8263975">stating</a> they “will not throw our parents under the bus to make ourselves more deserving.” This resistance is part of a wider rejection by undocumented young immigrants of being labelled as “Dreamers” – the brightest and best who are innocent because they were “brought” to the US by their parents. Dreamers are often presented as culturally assimilated “all American” students. </p>
<p>Despite concerns over the label, there are still undocumented young people across the US who continue to identify as “Dreamers”. This has led to disagreements within the movement about how to respond to immigration clampdowns by the Trump administration. </p>
<p>During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised to increase enforcement measures against undocumented immigrants. This included <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/happen-daca-recipients-donald-trump/story?id=43546706">a pledge</a> to end the <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/15/remarks-president-immigration">Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme</a>, an executive order signed by Barack Obama in 2012. Since its introduction, DACA has provided <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-studies/immigration-forms-data/data-set-form-i-821d-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals">nearly 800,000</a> undocumented young people who entered the US as children with a two-year renewable reprieve from deportation and the right to work legally. </p>
<p>DACA came about because of the mobilisation and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/us/18dream.html">civil disobedience</a> of undocumented youth, frustrated at the lack of progress on the DREAM Act. In 2011 and 2012, they engaged in a programme of direct actions and civil disobedience, including occupying Obama’s campaign offices during the <a href="http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2012/06/14/undocumented-students-occupy-obamas-oakland-headquarters/">2012 election campaign</a>. </p>
<h2>Rejecting the ‘Dreamer’ label</h2>
<p>In my ongoing research on this youth movement, I have interviewed young activists in southern California about their activism and their responses to Trump’s election. Many activists have critiqued the narrative about young “Dreamers” which is exclusionary to those who have not attended college, who arrived at an older age, or who have criminal convictions. One 21-year-old “DACAmented” student who I interviewed told me that she hates the “Dreamer” label. It presents children as having no agency:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>So, in other words, your parents brought you along in a criminal act, so we were criminalising our parents in the process of being a Dreamer.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A focus on students also excluded people who had not attended college. As an undocumented young activist from Los Angeles explained: “There is layers even within the undocumented people. There will be those who have bachelor degrees … and then you have the ones who don’t.” </p>
<p>Following <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-perez/challenging-the-dreamerna_b_6163008.html">critiques</a> about the use of the term Dreamer and the sentiment behind it, the movement started to become more inclusive from 2010 onwards. Many undocumented youth organisations, especially in California, have shed the term from their organisation names, often replacing it with “immigrant youth”. Many have also refocused their efforts to organise and defend the wider undocumented community against criminalisation, detention and deportation, rather than prioritising a pathway to citizenship for those who have the best chance of being granted it.</p>
<p>But under Trump the shift away from the Dreamer narrative seems to have faltered.</p>
<h2>DACA under threat</h2>
<p>Arrests of suspected undocumented immigrants <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ice-immigration-arrests-20170525-story.html">have risen by 35% nationally</a> under the Trump administration – although they have remained relatively unchanged in southern California. In recent months, some DACA recipients have been <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-dreamer-daca-deportation-20170217-story.html">detained</a> or even <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/18/first-protected-dreamer-deported-under-trump/100583274/">deported</a>. </p>
<p>In May, a young activist, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-immigration-activist-20170518-story.html">Claudia Rueda</a>, was detained by border patrol in Los Angeles. She was released following a campaign against her detention led by her friends. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=490&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=490&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=490&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=616&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=616&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181152/original/file-20170807-16790-u9bc6v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=616&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A protest to free Claudia Rueda, an activist for immigrant youth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although DACA is still in place, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/politics/trump-will-allow-dreamers-to-stay-in-us-reversing-campaign-promise.html">the White House has not confirmed</a> whether it will remain in the long-term. Officials from ten states <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/immigration/officials-in-10-states-push-trump-administration-to-end-daca-program/2017/06/30/5bd05ec4-5da1-11e7-a9f6-7c3296387341_story.html?utm_term=.1888afe631b9">have demanded</a> Trump ends it by September 5 or they will take legal action. They argue that DACA is unlawful because it does not have statutory authorisation from the legislatures. </p>
<p>In response to these threats against DACA, there has been a resurgence of the Dreamer narrative, including among some undocumented young people. This can be seen in the emphasis on young people’s <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/withdaca-dreamers-share-stories-financial-success-after-daca-n682601">economic contributions</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/20/trump-undocumented-immigrants-dream-act-congress">educational success</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/20/trump-undocumented-immigrants-dream-act-congress">innocence</a> in social media posts, media commentary and in proclamations by politicians. </p>
<p>But by embracing the term “Dreamer” again, differences are emerging within the movement regarding messaging and priorities in the battle ahead. As the DREAM Act comes before lawmakers, these tensions are likely to rise to the fore.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ala Sirriyeh receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p>For some activists, focusing on young 'Dreamers' excludes others affected by immigration controls.Ala Sirriyeh, Lecturer in Sociology, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.